Imagine living in a world where you are “chained between two nations” at the age of 13. You want your freedom, but on the other hand who are you loyal to? Your country or the rebels? It’s a hard choice for someone like Isabelle's character to face, but she stands strong and keeps her head held high. The word “chains” in the book Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is used as a metaphor throughout the whole book. Specifically, to describe a limit being put on someone or something. When Isabelle was sold at the beginning of the story, she was hit with a harsh reality of how her people were treated at this day and age. Furthermore, as time went by she got chances to fight for both sides but in the end she would need to choose one. It was the Loyalists versus the Rebels in this case. By siding with the Rebels, Isabelle was promised freedom, something she has wanted since the day of birth. In addition, they offered to help in the search of Isabelle’s missing sister. “She cannot chain my soul. Yes, but she could hurt me. She’d …show more content…
Namely because the loyalists support slavery. However, both sides are using slaves no matter what. Isabelle may be passionate for her freedom in her words, but hasn’t proven it in her fight. “The beast has grown too large,” the mayor said.”If it breaks free of its chains, we are all in danger. We need to cut off it’s head ”(Mayor 47). In this quote it describes the Rebels plan of stopping the British of their invasion upon New York City. What he tries to illustrate, in the quote is that if they have any chance of winning the war, they have to take out the army’s leaders. In the end, Isabelle sides with the Rebels and takes off in a boat with Curzon to go find Ruth. I personally am happy with Isabelle’s decision in siding with the Rebels because she proves her fight in wanting freedom. I’m glad that she found people with the same struggles and dreams as
During the times times of when the founding fathers lived, the slaves they brought in suffered from the chains on their hands and being dragged by their owners. In the book, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, the protagonist, Isabel, is one of those slaves. She was taken away from her home and was sold with her family when she was only 1 year old. Curzon is a slave who fights for the patriots in order to gain his freedom. Isabel and Curzon are bound by their chains from their lives. Even as their experiences may be different, they share many chains events that bind them together. This is shown through their scars, their quest for freedom, and their imprisonment.
In Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical fiction novel Chains, Anderson uses fictional characters to describe real life situations that some may have faced during the Revolutionary War. All these characters in the story are fighting for the same thing, freedom. The definition of freedom, however, varies for multiple characters in the story. Curzon, an African-American slave who sides with the rebels, is fighting with “my master and those he serves, the rebels, the Congress. We’re fighting for freedom from people like Lockton [a loyalist].” (p. 39) The main character of the story Isabel meets another African-American slave at a well who was taught that “if the British win, we’ll all be free.” (p. 165) For the other races
Many kids have not been to jail or experienced the loss of a close sibling or parent, and we do not understand the difficulty of being a slave. We can not even imagine that these terrible phenomena can occur. The book Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson depicts two young, black slaves that have survived through the uprising of the Revolutionary War, the immoralities of slavery, and the tragic loss of family members.Throughout the book, Curzon and Isabel suffer through multiple events that have made them chained both figuratively and physically, but the couple of juvenile slaves grow more determined to receive freedom after they go through their hardships.
Captain Beck, the Nazi soldier billeting in Vianne’s house, compliments Isabelle on her beautiful blonde hair. Out of complete desperation, Isabelle grabs a pair of scissors and cuts off her ponytail. She then hands the dislocated clump of hair to the Nazi general. Captain Beck’s living situation has Isabelle absolutely livid and she is unable to see the innocence that lies in his comment. Her actions are motivated by frustration, as she is undeniably troubled by the war facing her country and wants to make a contribution. Beck’s presence in her sister’s home limits her capabilities and she finds herself unable to take action of any sort. Additionally, she views Captain Beck as a personal enemy as he is the only German soldier she has ever
The book Chains takes place during the Revolutionary War and is set in colonial New York. The main character, Isabel, is a slave for a Loyalist family. She and her sister were sold to them after her mother and her owner pass away. She makes friends with another slave, Curzon Bellingham, and is told to spy on her influential master. She operates in secret and constantly fears her owner, Madam Lockton, will catch her. She faces many troubles throughout the book, including her five year old sister being sold to an owner in another country. The book’s title signifies Isabel’s struggle with her independent soul being chained down by the others around her.
The loyalists tried to stop the revolution.since the patriots were causing mobs, the loyalists only did peaceful
It is clear that Anne no longer cared for the group ultimately betraying and risking the life of everyone in the group. This effected many people such as Anne herself because she ended up taking her life because she did not the trust the group also the whole group need to stay more alarmed just in case anyone found out about their skills.
At first, Anne was terrified to go into hiding but her positivity and hope showed and taught many people lessons on how you should look at life. Anne had such a big influence on the people who read her diary. The play that was constructed off of her diary writings really lets us understand how and what Anne was feeling along with the others in the house. The Franks in addition to their friends, had people who helped them out while they were in hiding. This is one reason why Anne would have thought that people were really good at heart. One prime example is Miep Gies. She helped the Franks even though she was not faithful in the Jewish religion. Meip replenished everyone in the group by bringing them what they needed. She had a well thought out tactic that helped her be able to bring supplies to the secret annex. She never gave up on them and helped them through their entire hiding. This shows that people may not believe in the same things as you, but deep in their heart, they are willing to help anyone in need. The group of people hiding in the secret annex was in need, they had no way of getting food or any other supplies. This is where Miep came in to help them. She brought them the food, plus all of the supplies that they needed, therefore, making them live much longer than they should have. In the play, you could tell how happy the family was to see her. On page 326, we read, “Thank you, Miepia. You shouldn’t have done it.” this was
Hook. Both during and before The Revolutionary War happened, Britain killed many of the Patriots who fought against independence from Britain. King George III made laws that took advantage of the colonists and Britain did not give them equal rights. The Patriots were justified in seeking independence from England, because England abused the colonists, capitalized on them, and controlled their rights.
Would you rather be a slave or a free man? Now that might seem like an easy question to answer, but to the colonists it was the toughest decision of their lives. If they declared independence they would have a little chance of winning the war and have many casualties. If they didn’t declare independence than they would get pushed around and taxed more and more by the British soldiers and British Parliament. The colonists should declare independence because the British parliament fixing to add more and more taxes and rules.
Isabel is the main character and can be referenced as the one who has the most chains throughout the book. Her social status doesn’t really help her case, since she is a slave. This fact takes away her hope and instead replaces it with the darkness of slavery as evident on pg 202, ”The plants had burned”. Throughout the story the plants represent Isabel’s hope and her growth as a character. The burning of the plants represents that she is losing hope and her fate seems dreary and bleak.She thinks that her future is hopeless,but then it all turns around for her to think that the Locktons may have chained her body but “she
This newfound freedom is in effect a new motivation for Louise. Before experiencing such freedom, Louise was petrified of the thought of life being long; now however, she felt herself wishing, even praying for life to be long. This is evidenced with the following quote, "She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long." (15). This depicts an ever embracing Louise, finally liberated of the powerful institution of marriage. What is more, this quote serves to further support the idea that Louise indeed felt trapped, she was unhappy and yet, the thought of her husband dying hadn't crossed her mind, only the relief from her own passing was her wish.
In “Ida & the Bees,” Ida Adkins explains that her love and devotion to her owner drove her to stay by her master’s side during a Union raid. As the Union soldiers plundered through Marse Frank’s possessions it was Ida who took action to protect what she had come to love. She intentionally angered the bees that drove away the soldiers and was rewarded with a gold ring for her bravery. In stark contrast to this, Eliza and George Harris in Uncle Tom’s Cabin ran away from their respective plantations out of distaste for their owners. George describes how his “life is bitter as wormwood” (14) due to his master. Eliza
Harriet Jacob was the first African American women to have authored a slave narrative in the United States and was instinctive into slavery in Edenton, North Carolina. Living a good life with her skilled carpentered father and her mother, Jacob didn’t much of being a slave. However, when her mother had passed away, Jacob and her father were reassigned to a different slave owner were her life as a women slave began. Because of this change, she fled to New York where she started working in the Anti-Slavery movement. During this period, she focused more on her family then she did the issue of slavery. Family is an emotional anchor in the Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl because Linda was devoted to her children. She uses symbolism, imagery, and allegory because she wants to demonstrate what families should be like.
Franklin sought after a way to keep America and England under one empire, but he knew that this would only occur if Britain would cease its oppression of the American people. When it became obvious that the King would not stop his endless taxes and limits on trade, a fight for independence became the only clear way to put an end to it.